1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp housing, and particularly to a lamp housing capable of being easily installed and removed from a panel opening in an automotive vehicle. The invention has special utility as a lamp housing in the trunk compartment of an automotive vehicle. Lamps are commonly mounted in the trunk compartments of automotive vehicles for illuminating the compartment when the trunk lid is raised to gain access to the compartment.
2. Description of Prior Developments
Prior to the present invention, various improvements have been made in connection with mechanisms for mounting lamp housings in panel openings. Such improvements have sometimes involved low cost mounting devices that securely mount the lamp housing in a panel opening, but at the same time permit removal of the lamp housing, or at least the window portion of the lamp housing, in order to permit replacement of a burned-out lamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,850, issued to R. Martin, shows a torsion bar latch mechanism for securing a lamp housing in a panel opening. Two twistable torsion bars are located at opposite ends of a lamp housing for engagement with an edge of the panel opening. Each torsion bar has a lug that can be swung toward the lamp housing to permit passage of the lamp housing through the panel opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,074, issued to D. Bull, shows a lamp housing having deflectable latch arms integral with side walls of the housing to engage facial edge areas of a panel opening. Each latch arm has angled ramp surfaces that enable the latch arms to have snap-type engagements with the panel surfaces.